Indicator for flatiron control means



June 16, 1953 P. J. KIRCHER 2,642,027

INDICATOR FOR FLATIRON CONTROL MEANS Filed March 13, 1951 rll [III/III],

3nnentor PA J KJRCHER attorneys Patented June 16, 1953 Paul J. Kircher, Plainville, Conn, assiguor to Lenders, Frary & Clark, New Britain, 10mm a corporation of Connecticut Application March 13, 1951, Serial No. 215,318

i This invention relates to a flatircn of the type which can be used either as a dry or a steam iron and relates especially to jmechanism for. controlling the mode of operation of the iron.

Irons which are capable of either steam or dry operation are provided with a water chamber disposed above the soleplate and are provided with valve means for either permitting or checking the fiowof water to the region adjacent the soleplate. Switching from one mode of operation to the other is accomplished by opening or closing the valve.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a duo-operating flatiron with improved control mechanism which is characterized by its simplicity and compact arrangement so that it can be readily assembled within the other components of the iron without increasing the bulk thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide valve control mechanism which may be economically manufactured and which can be so arranged on the iron as to enable the operator to switch from one mode of operation to the other without ceasing the ironing efforts and by merely manipulating actuating means which is intimately associated with the handle of the iron.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a duo-operating fiatiron with control 'mechanism incorporating readily visible illuminate-d indicating means for showing the disposition of the valve.

' Other'objects will be in part obvious and in' part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

' The invention accordingly consists in the iea- 'tures of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the -drawings- Fig. l is a side elevational view of a flatiron which can be operated as either a dry or steam iron with parts shown in vertical cross section to more readily illustrate the control mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional View on enlarged scale of a portion of Figure 1 showing with particularity the parts which comprise the valve control mechanism.

' Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially as indicated by line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective exploded view of the elements which make up the control mechanism.

As shown in detail in the drawings, the numeral ill indicates generally a fi-atiron which iscon- 10 Claims. (Cl. 116-4249 structed for either dry or steam operation having a conventional soleplate 12, a body shell 14., and a handle it. 'Ihe handle 16 is of hollow shelll'ike construction having front .and'rear legs I7 and l9,"nespectively, secured to the body shell 14.

The body shell M is mounted adjacent and above the soleplate l2 and receives the electric lines (not shown) which are connected to the heating elements (also not shown) associated with the soleplate 12 in the usual manner. The body shell defines a chamber C in which there is disposed a shell-like housing l8 which in turn defines a waterchamber W. The shell 18 has conventional inlet for receiving a water supply and is provided with an aperture 20 in its bottom wall which is closed by a valve 2-2. The valve .22 will afford communication between the water chamber W and the chamber C in that it has a horizontal inlet 23 disposed within the chamber W and a vertical outlet 25 within the chamber 0. The water which is discharged from chamber W into chamber C will be heated by the elements which heat the soleplate l2 and will then flow to the under surface of the soleplate I2 through apertures arranged therein in the conventional manner.

The construction of the iron and the valve are not a part of the present invention and may be constructed in any suitable manner. The drawing of the particular flatironis merely for illustration to show the cooperation of the control mechanism and indicator which are constructed in accordance with the present invention.

An elongated valve control rod. 24 is provided and is vertically arranged with its lower end associated with the valve 22 so that the valve discharge opening 25 can be closed thereby. The upper end of the control rod 24 projects through the shell or casing 18 into the front leg I l of the handle it. The rod 24 is supported and guided for vertical movements by a tubular L-sha-ped metallic member 26. The vertical leg of the member 26 is inserted within a neck 28 in the upper portion of the shell l8 through which the rod 24 projects and the horizontal leg of the member 26 projects forwardly to the front face of the handle leg H. The member 26 has an aperture 30 adjacent the elbow thereof which receives rod 24 in sliding relation and a thrust plate or washer 32 is disposed about the rod '24 on the top surface of the member 25. Adjacent the up er end of the rod 24 a similar thrust plate or washer 34 is carried for movement therewith and thrusts against a coil spring-36 disposed between the disks 32 and 34. Thus, the coil spring urges the rod 24 upwardly to normally maintain the valve 22 in open position for steam operation of the iron NJ.

The handle 15 is provided with a longitudinal strip 38 which acts as a cover for the otherwise open shell of the handle and is clamped by an appendage 29a on the rear leg i9 and secured thereto as by a screw id. The front end of the handle portion 38 rests atop the forwardly projecting free end of the member 25. Thus, it will be seen that the strip 38 cooperates with the other elements of the handle i 6 to provide a continuous tubular member affording a hand grip between the legs and ill.

The front leg E! of the handle it is provided with a pair of opposed generally rectangular slots 22 which accommodate a control or switch actuating bar 4%. The bar 54 is mounted by the handle for translatory movements relative thereto within the slots 32 and the bar 44 carries a generally L-shaped plate 48 secured with its short leg abutting the forward face of the bar 44 as by a screw 63. The long leg of the plate '56 abuts the top or" the bar i land has a depending cam appendage 58 which projects into a generally rectangular aperture 52 centrally disposed within the bar M. The appendage 50 has a portion 53 which slopes downwardly from left to right as viewed in Fig. 3 to engage the top end of the control rod 25 and cam the same downwardly to effect closing of the valve 22. Thus, the valve is closed by shifting the bar from right to left as shown in Fig. 3 which views that section of the iron in the forward facing direction. The valve can be opened by pressing the bar i l to the right and either movement of the bar can be accomplished with finger-tip pressure Without disrupting the ironing operation.

A second generally L-shaped plate Ed is secured to the bar Mi by the screw 48 passing through the shorter leg thereof, but the longer spring leg of the plate 5 3 rests at an acute angle to the top of the bar i l and the longer leg of the first mentioned L-shaped plate Alt. A plurality of ratchet teeth 55 are formed at the free end of the longer leg of the member 5a to provide a rack projecting upwardly to engagement with a plurality of teeth 5% circumferentially arranged on the lower side of a generally cylindrical indicator tii. The indicator 68 is disposed within an arcuate cavity 62 in the handle strip 38 and secured thereby against axial movement. The indicator is biased upwardly into the cavity 62 by means of the springaction of the L-shaped member 5 5. The member also provides driving means for rotating the indicator $9 in that as the actuating bar id is shifted from one position to another to open or close the valve the ratchet teeth 55 will drive the cylindrical indicator through a portion of a revolution.

Suitable indicia may be provided on the outer upper periphery of the indicator Bi! so as to be visible through an aperture 64. in the strip 38 adjacent and above the cavity 62. Since the actuating bar is shifted to one of two positions, the indicator need bear only the legends dry and steam or just one of the foregoing legends to indicate the disposition of the valve for operating the iron.

The indicator 6i] as previously mentioned is cylindrical and is composed of light-penetrable material such as plastic and has a central longitudinal bore 66 which receives lamp 58 connected as by wires Hi to the electric circuit supplying energy to the sole-plate heating elements. The

lamp 68 is secured in the bore 66 without fittings or adapters and the light therefrom will illuminate the indicia appearing on the indicator ts through the aperture or window 64.

From the foregoing it 'will be understood that there is provided a switch or control mechanism for controlling the disposition of the valve 22 which determines the mode of operation of the iron it. The elements which go to make up the control mechanism are characterized by their simplified construction and by their compact arrangement and cooperation so that the mechanism may be assembled within the standard components of the iron Without adding to the bulk thereof. The control mechanism can be expeditiously operated by an operator without removing the hand from the handle of the iron or disrupting the ironing operation in any manher.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover ali of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the'invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim as my invention:

1. in fiatiron, an indicator member compris ing a hollow cylinder formed of light-penetrable material provided with indicia on a peripheral portion thereof and with integral gear teeth on the peripheral portion opposite from said indicia, means farming an apertured recess for journaling the cylinder with the indicia facing the recess, actuating means for rotating the cylinder disposed on the side of the cylinder opposite from the recess and engaging said gear teeth, and a light source within the cylinder.

2. In a flatiron, the combination of a handle having a downwardly facing arcuate seat therein, hollow cylindrical indicating means formed. of light-penetrable material journaled for rotation in said seat, said seat being provided with an aperture to permit the adjacent surface of the cylinder to be viewed, a light source disposed within the hollow cylinder, control means associated with the iron, and a driving connection between the control means and the cylinder whereby the rotated portion of the cylinder is determined by the position of the control means.

3. In a fiatiron of the type having a water chamber and a valve for opening and closing the chamber to effect changes in operation of the iron between steam and dry processes, the combination comprising hollow cylindrical indicating means journaled by the handle of the iron and having a central bore, a valve actuating bar movably supported by the handle for movement transverse to said indicating means, means on said actuating bar engageable with the valve to open and close the same during movements of said bar, drive means between said actuating bar and said indicating means whereby said indicating means is rotated by movement of said actuating bar, and a lamp disposed in said bore to illuminate said indicating means.

4:, In a flatiron of the type having a water chamber and a valve for opening and closing the chamber to effect changes in operation of the iron between steam and dry processes, the combination comprising a hollow light-penetrable indicating cylinder rotatably mounted by the handle of the iron, a valve actuating bar transversely supported by the handle in proximate tangential relation to said indicating cylinder, means on said actuating bar cngageable with the valve to open and close the same during movements of said bar, drive means carried by said bar engaging said cylinder whereby said indicating cylinder is rotated by movement of said actuating bar, and a lamp disposed in said cylinder to illuminate the same.

5. In a fiatiron of the type having a water chamber and a valve for opening and closing the gageable with the valve to open and close the. same during movements of said bar, means on said cylinder defining a plurality of gear teeth on the outer periphery thereof, and drive means including a rack between said bar and said cylinder thrusting said cylinder into the handle cavity and rotating said cylinder in response to transverse movements of said bar.

6. In a flatiron of the type having a water chamber and a valve for opening and closing the chamber to effect changes in operation of the iron between steam and dry processes, the combination comprising a hollow light-penetrable indicating cylinder rotatably disposed in an arcuate cavity in the handle of the iron, a light source disposed within the hollow cylinder, said handle being provided with an aperture to permit the adjacent surface of the cylinder to be viewed, a valve actuating bar transversely supported by the handle in proximate tangential relation to said cylinder, means on said actuating bar engageable with the valve to open and close the same during movements of said bar, means on said cylinder defining a plurality of gear teeth on the outer periphery thereof, and drive means including a rack between said bar and said cylinder thrusting said cylinder into the handle cavity and rotating said cylinder in response to transverse movements of said bar, and a lamp disposed in said cylinder to illuminate the same.

7. In a fiatiron of the type having a water chamber and a valve for opening and closing the chamber to eiiect changes in operation of the iron between steam and dry processes, control means comprising a valve control member shiftably supported by the iron for movement between two positions, one to close the valve and the other to open the valve, means biasing saidv control member to one of said positions, an actuating bar supported by the handle of the iron for translatory movement relative thereto, means on said actuating bar engageable with said control member during movement of said actuating bar in one direction to shift said control member to the other position, a light-penetrable indicator journaled by the handle and movable to two positions to indicate dry or steam operations, said fingerpiece.

6 handle being provided with an aperture to permit the adjacent surface of the indicator to be viewed, driving means carried by said actuating bar and engaged with said indicator in driving relation whereby said indicator is shifted in response to movements of said actuating bar, and an illumination source disposed in said indicator to illuminate the same in each position thereof.

8. In a flatiron of the type having a water chamber and a valve for opening and closing the chamber to effect changes in operation of the iron between steam and dry processes, control means comprising a vertically arranged valve control rod shiitably supported by the iron for movement between two positions, one to close the valve and the other to open the valve, means biasing said control rod to one of said positions,

, movable between two positions to indicate dry or steam operation, said handle being provided with an aperture to permit the adjacent surface of said indicator to be viewed, driving means carried by said actuating bar and engaged with said indicator in driving relation, whereby said indicator is shifted in response to movement of said actuating bar, and a light source carried by said indicator to illuminate the same in each position thereof.

9, In a flatiron, the combination of a handle having a downwardly facing arcuate cavity therein, an open-ended tubular indicator formed of light penetrable material seated in said cavity, said handle being provided with an aperture communicating with the top of the cavity to permit the indicatorto be viewed therethrough, a stationary light bulb seated within the tubular indicator, control means associated with the iron including a push bar mounted transversely of the handle beneath said cavity for reciprocal sliding movement, and means interconnecting the bar and indicator whereby the indicator is held in said cavity by the bar and is rotated in response to sliding movement of the bar.

10. In a fiatiron, the combination of a cylindrical indicator provided with indicia on a peripheral portion thereof and with gear teeth on the peripheral portion opposite from said indicia, a

PAUL J KIRCHER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,299,462 Clark Oct. 20, 1942 2,411,199 Felver Nov. 19, 1946 

